This is what happens when you try to pay your way into politics to stroke your ego, or out of a whim that only a multi-millionaire can afford. Anyone can make mistakes but you fooled a lot of people and now you can’t hide the ‘phony’. The deserving candidate and Palin-endorsed Lizbeth Benacquisto would have never gaffed like this. But I’m feeling generous tonight. Maybe you really weren’t lying when you said your were an “outsider”.. as in a fish out of water. This was.. well..
Update FL District 19 Special Primary Race to replace Trey Radel.
Clawson “wins” Primary – a hollow victory for someone who bought the press, bought the backing of phony Tea Party Endorsements and a multitude of consultants in the community and elsewhere. Congratulations to the crony millionaire who fought for the wrong reasons.
To Lizbeth who fought for the right reasons, my message to you is: Thank you for running a campaign we could all be proud of. My suggestion for a true Mama Grizzly: LIZBETH FOR U.S. SENATE 2016. We’ve only just begun to fight.
This picture of Alexandra looks innocuous enough, and you may wonder why I even bothered to publish something that someone has the right to do in the United States, support a candidate they believe in.
This is why:
Mitch McConnell may have infiltrated Tea Party Express via Rand Paul and Sal Russo whose daughter, Alexandra Russo is head of RandPac.
This has consequences (like the primary race in Florida not yet determined but whose outcome is leaning Clawson who bought his way if he wins). Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell obviously worked together to make it happen via TPX. I may post an update or timeline with all the Tea Party endorsements that ensued which contributed to voter deception in District 19.
Alexandra Russo is young. She is the daughter of Sal Russo of TPX here, firepower and Chief Strategist behind the Tea Party Express which Amy Kremer resigned from last week, immediately following RAND PAUL’s endorsement of Curt Clawson on April 14th, 2014 (four days later). I am suspecting Amy connected the dots. She did not mention Rand Paul in the note on her Facebook wall, which she tweeted, just Mike Lee and Ted Cruz.
More information needs to be revealed so that Tea Party Americans know who does what and for who. Rand Paul is at a point in his career where he needs money, millions that McConnell and other of our opponents in the GOPe have accumulated. He is blindly ambitious, making him an obvious target for exploitation and corruption by Rinos who hate us.
This ambition is reminiscent of Rubio’s debacle and fallout in 2013 when the base turned on him for lying. The damage he did by deception is irreparable I feel, but he still has intentions to run by all accounts. Good luck.
Rand Paul may have plans for 2016 but he is clearly helping Establishment RINOS stay in power exchange for personal enrichment and plans for 2016. I’ve been saying this since last year: Rand Paul is about Rand Paul. He could not care less about deceiving voters or fund-raise by hijacking constitutional principles. He has compromised our movement already by portraying himself as an outsider when he is obviously is an opportunist. It is up to voters to see this, especially voters wanting to get rid of GOPe elders.
I would bet $20 and lunch at an expensive restaurant that Amy realized Rand Paul is a phony and that she will NEVER admit to it. It is up to us to figure it out as months pass and events unfold in 2014.
Tea Party Express Holds Election Day Rally and Watch Party In Las Vegas (Alexandra Russo)
Chief strategist for the Tea Party Express Sal Russo, Dustin Stockton and Russo’s daughter Alexandra Russo track election results at a Tea Party Express election night party at the Aria Resort & Casino at CityCenter November 2, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In one of the nation’s most closely watched races, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is trying to retain his seat for a fifth term against Republican challenger and Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle. Picture link
(Nov. 1, 2010. 16:00:00- Source: Ethan Miller/Getty Images North America)
Tea Party Express Holds Election Day Rally and Watch Party In Las Vegas
In This Photo: Alexandra Russo, Amy Kremer, Debbie Lee (L-R) Alexandra Russo, Tea Party Express Chairwoman Amy Kremer and President of America’s Mighty Warriors Debbie Lee watch Kentucky Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul’s acceptance speech on television at a Tea Party Express election night party at the Aria Resort & Casino at CityCenter November 2, 2010in Las Vegas, Nevada. In one of the nation’s most closely watched races, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is trying to retain his seat for a fifth term against Republican challenger and Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle. Link
(Nov. 1, 2010. 16:00:00- Source: Ethan Miller/Getty Images North America)
I know it’s Easter, but the truth has no time-table sometimes, and with the FL D-19 Primary coming up on Tuesday, April 22nd, someone has to keep the story out there because it is a big deal. This article is written for Amy Kremer.
Amy Kremer, I remember when you first sent an email after I joined the Tea Party and got involved in American politics for the first time. It was such an exciting time. Here’s more on your beginnings at the Tea Party Express.
Fast forward to 2014. We have a primary in the State of Florida two days after Easter. There has been a lot said about Curt Clawson being the “outsider” in the race; however, we have had a candidate who would better represent the People, but TPX (Tea Party Express) chose on March 18th to endorse someone who bought ads and press for months to fool constituents instead. If ever there was such a thing as crony journalism this would be it.
I am not a fan of blaming voters because unless you’re there, it’s hard to deny the impact of local media has on impressions people have. In this case, it was that “the Tea Party endorsed Clawson”. That had huge consequences, so bowing out of this situation as if it didn’t happen, is wrong. Voters also don’t identify the establishment problem we have and that is not a local issue.
Clawson has had no experience in politics. He never even attended a single Tea Party event in 2009 when all the excitement was stirring. He was busy getting out of managing a company and paying himself a $13 million salary after laying off over a thousand workers article here over the years. How can anyone sleep at night (from Clawson’s point of view)? And how can voters trust this man with their district’s needs for jobs? I don’t get it.
Clawson is as corrupt on the outside as he is corrupt on the inside playing politics with our futures at stake by making donations to Mitch McConnell (the Senate Minority Leader and Biggest Tea-Party Terminator Wannabe, Mitch McConnell) as well as the Republican Party of Kentucky.
If he was really “Tea” he would not have donated to our GOPe enemies. This article from Shark Tank is pretty straightforward about Clawson’s deception before he was in the tank for him, openly. Clawson is shady and will care about his constituents as much as he did about his employees. He has already lied to them about who he really is.
But let’s get back to Amy who this article is for.
You resigned from Tea Party (Tea-Rino) Express on Friday night (Good Friday even slower than most Fridays for news). It is curious to me.
Maybe you did not want to be associated with the wrong endorsement (I am hoping), or maybe you were given orders to avoid certain candidates. All I know is, I would speak up if that is the case. I do not think you would get in trouble. And if you did, we should know about it. It should be something that is played out openly, for all of us to see.
As a patriot, it is your duty to let us know what happened if TPX is guilty of “selling” something they are not – TEA PARTY. In addition, if they have been involved in any unethical behavior of any kind, we should know about it as well. We’ve had enough so-called Tea Party organizations bamboozle voters.
Amy, we are WATCHING! You have downplayed supporting Clawson this weekend but it will not go unnoticed. You are involved. And it will not be forgotten, unless you speak up and explain what happened. You have information we could use.
We know Rand Paul has ties to the TEA PARTY EXPRESS via his RandPac Chairman, Alexandra Russo, who is married or has family ties to Sal Russo of Tea Party Express (the same link above). Sal Russo is Co Chairman of Tea Party Express. That would explain a lot to many of us wondering why Rand Paul is considered “Tea”. He’s not. He’s a useful Rino desperate to make a name for himself.
TPX has to answer to us. Lizbeth is responsible, respectful and everything a candidate should be. She is much more qualified to lead in Washington than Clawson could ever be and believes that one person can make a difference. She’s like us. Plus she’s neighborly and nice.
Amy Kremer has worked hard in the last almost 7 years but she has made some mistakes like we all do. She could end things best if she made an unofficial (or official) un-endorsement of the Anti-Tea Party candidate in this race, if anything to make a point. It would have the impact needed to set the record straight with voters who seem to be “confused”, even if it is late, and even if it was unofficial.
Here is Lizbeth Benacquisto in her own words (for the record) in case you missed them (in no particular order):
* H/T “Pat” for RandPac/Alexandra Russo lead which is to be confirmed. Update 4/21/2014 5:19 p.m.
Curt Clawson has been paying for positive media coverage and the creation of an image of him as being an “outsider” for months now. He has been the best candidate money could buy. Every single page on that blog has a Clawson ad above it but that is not news. This poll was released just days ago. It is narrow enough that she can win and much different from the one taken a month ago, March 3rd, before Sarah’s endorsement. Anything can happen in this primary and there are others to talk about, so I will wait until after the primary to say what is wrong with this picture (sort of). I cannot hold back.
I do want to show the clip below from News-Press (generously converted by iizthatiiz) where Lizbeth explains why she is running for Congress to replace Trey Radel who was arrested on cocaine possession charges and resigned from office in January this year. Her rationale, temperament, level-headedness, and genuine advocacy for innocent life and traditional marriage are to be commended. You can also see how much she cares about representing her constituents well and coming to this country’s aid at a time where all the qualities needed to be part of the solution – she has.
There is NO excuse in my mind for voters in this district NOT to vote for her. None. And because I am a Rino watch dog and activist against the GOPe, I found it interesting that the Tea Party Express and Rand Paul endorsed the non-Palin candidate and non-Tea Party candidate who admittedly never went to a single Tea Party event in 2009 when it surged. Since when is Rand Paul a sought-after endorsement these days? Some were too happy to announce it. No surprise. The coverage and slams of Sarah Palin have been unethical as I have mentioned already because they have been paid for. That’s how Rinos roll.
I hope everyone in District 19 reads every word of the article by News Press and hears every she has to say. All eyes are on you! Don’t believe the HYPE or ADS! Read (the truth) instead and GOTV April 22nd to support Lizbeth!
Lizbeth Benacquisto was once told by her mom that it was OK not to be perfect, life does not allow for such things. When life had presented Benacquisto with challenges, her mom said there was nothing wrong with starting over and building again.
The Fort Myers Republican keeps those words close to her heart and in many ways has lived by them. It is because of those convictions set by her mother, her own beliefs in helping others and a genuine dedication in wanting to serve the people of Southwest Florida that The News-Press endorses her for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in the 19th District, which includes Lee County and parts of Collier.
We believe she has the best chance of restoring trust to a seat and to a community, which was left angry and betrayed when former Rep. Trey Radel was arrested for cocaine possession, announced he was an alcoholic, and resigned from office. The district has been without representation in Washington since January.
The current campaign, which also includes Curt Clawson, Michael Dreikorn and Paige Kreegel, for the Republican nomination, has done very little to dissipate that anger. It has been one of the ugliest in Southwest Florida memory. It has been a campaign of distorted facts, accusations and name-calling. The campaign has left many of us wondering whether we should trust any of the Republicans based on the ruthless tactics of the candidates.We had hoped this would be a campaign about the issues and how any one of them could represent our interests and money with integrity and leadership. Instead, we got verbal brutality.
We wish Benacquisto had not been part of this and urge her to stop the negative ads and to spend the last days of the campaign focused on her own strengths and what she will do in Washington.
We believe that Benacquisto understands the political process, gets things done in the trenches and can better care for Southwest Florida. She has proven this in the Florida Senate, especially the last two years as majority leader. She has the ability to get people to work together, even if it meant she would let them take the credit. She has done it on the Senate floor, as vice chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee and in Southwest Florida with local leaders.
She has done it by working both sides of the aisle. That was evident last year when she accepted the challenge of passing the “Cancer Treatment Fairness Act.” It was a bill that struggled to get Senate support the previous two years. “I worked really hard, amassed a coalition of colleagues that understood that working to deny access to medication for folks battling cancer because it was cost prohibitive” was wrong, Benacquisto said. The legislative session was extended twice, but Benacquisto got the votes and it was signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott.
It’s tough to explain Benacquisto’s quick rise in the Senate for someone who just stepped into state politics about four years ago. She made it a priority to work with Senate colleagues on important bills and that brought her recognition. “In my first session, I was able to pass an extraordinary amount of bills. In any chamber, you build a coalition and move forward with good policy that is in the best interest of the people you serve. I have bucked the system, built coalitions around a conservative ideal and convinced folks why policy is sound,” she said.
She may be too idealistic when it comes to the Affordable Care Act. She, like most Republicans, wants to repeal the entire law. We do not believe that is possible, not with more than 7 million people already signed up and expecting health care. She considers the repeal her top priority should she get to Washington. We advise her to work with her colleagues on strategic reform of the program. She wants people to be able to sign up for health care programs in other states. She wants people to have access to tax credits similar to those available to businesses. Those are notable positions and ones worthy of continued dialogue and possible action in Washington.
She has been a strong supporter for improved and sustained water quality in Florida, leading efforts to provide $220 million in funding for Indian River Lagoon and Caloosahatchee basin projects, as well as storage areas for contaminated water flowing from Lake Okeechobee into our local estuaries. She wants a new release schedule of water from Lake O to help minimize the damage to the Caloosahatchee. It will be important for her to continue that fight in Washington, securing additional federal funding that could one day lead to the restoration of a natural flow way from Lake O south to the Everglades.
We agree with her position on flood insurance that more private insurers should be brought into the marketplace to help reduce costs and there should be more accountability on government and its hiring practices for companies that review and change flood maps. As another round of flood map revisions moves forward, we urge Benacquisto to take the lead on pushing for government transparency for these contracts that are costing taxpayers billions.
We share Benacquisto’s stance on more diversity on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. Currently, there are only 85 women among the 435 representatives, and 19 Republican woman.
We can’t afford another mistake in representation for this district. There is too much work to be done as the nation moves forward with massive health care changes, new education policies, immigration reform and lowering the budget deficit. We believe Benacquisto can represent our interests in those areas effectively.
Curt Clawson has hired a record 25 consultants for his campaign. It’s a lie that he’s an outsider. He’s not a principled Conservative either, something those supporting him claim he is. Just recently Breitbart News contributor Javier Manjarres of Shark Tank wrote a hit piece on Sarah, criticizing her for choosing the wrong Conservative in the race: Sarah Palin Jumps the Gun May Not Have Fully Vetted Recent Endorsee. That is ironic coming from a RINO-infested tank who shilled for Marco Rubio when he was lying about being against amnesty early on. Where was his research and vetting then? Shark Tank helped Rubio lie to us from the start. Even more ironic is the fact that Manjarres can conduct background checks on anyone he wants but did not bother to vet Clawson or expose his ties with known pedophile, Glen Borst-that we know of, has he?
Don’t go there, buddy. Here’s the truth.
PALIN ON SCANDAL-RIDDEN FL-19: LIZBETH BENACQUISTO WILL ‘OUST STATUS QUO’
Appearing at a cookout for her campaign last week, Palin said Benacquisto was the best politician to “oust the status quo” while calling her a “Mama Grizzly who will stand up to protect the next generation.” Palin warned against politicians who will not do enough to prevent the country from being “fundamentally transformed and not restored.”
The Republican primary is April 22 and will include Benacquisto, Curt Clawson, Paige Kreegel and Michael Dreikorn. The winner of that race will face Democrat April Freeman and Libertarian Ray Netherwood on June 24 in the general election.
“On the national stage, there is no greater voice for principled conservatism and the spirit of the Founders than Governor Sarah Palin,” Benacquisto told Breitbart News. “To have the support of Sarah, someone so dedicated to getting this nation back on the path to prosperity, is a tremendous honor.”
She added that she was proud to “have the recognition of Sarah and grateful that patriots in this congressional district know they have a conservative they can trust.”
When she endorsed Benacquisto, Palin, first and foremost, called her the only conservative in the race and also said that her candidacy comes with an added bonus: it helps Republicans blunt the phony “war on women” rhetoric Democrats like to gin up around election time.
Palin also said that “Lizbeth is running against a wealthy self-funded candidate with lots of splashy campaign ads claiming to be a conservative.”
“Since when do conservatives stand for crony capitalism and government bailouts? Please do your homework, voters,” she added. “Look beyond the fancy anonymous campaign ads. Look at a candidate’s record, not just their rhetoric. Lizbeth is a genuine conservative with a track record to prove it.”
As Breitbart News reported, “Palin seemed to be referring to a recent report in the Naples Daily Newsabout candidate Curt Clawson, who has tried to frame himself as a conservative despite having a record that suggests otherwise:”
He made a campaign contribution to liberal Michigan Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in 2009 after she wrote a provision into Obamacare that would allow the federal government to pick up health benefits of former employees of a company that Clawson owned. Furthermore, his company hired lobbyists and paid them nearly a million dollars while Obamacare was being fleshed out for “issues pertaining to manufacturing and filing for bankruptcy.”
In addition, Clawson has been under fire for having ties to a convicted pedophile and not being forthright about his relationship with him when it was first revealed. And days after Louisiana freshman Rep. Vance McAllister (R-LA) was caught on a surveillance video making out with is female aide who was not his wife, three of Clawson’s opponents held a press conference to demand transparency from Clawson about his ties to the pedophile.
That is the type of scandal voters in this district have indicated they no longer want and are tired of, and it could impact how they vote in the April 22 primary.
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Kevin Scholla and Tony Lee’s article restores my faith in Breitbart. So far, they are mostly in our corner with a diversity of writers, but these things need to be brought up from time to time. We need to keep an eye on them, too.
The Benaquisto campaign wants you to know that State Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto running for Congressional District 19 in Florida this APRIL 22nd joined her opponents in the GOP primary to issue a statement on a story the broke Friday: Curt Clawson, the wealthy “fake” Conservative buying all the flashy ads and complaining she doesn’t show up to debates, has bigger issues to answer to. His relationship with a known child rapist, Glen Borst, is raising disturbing concerns on several fronts.. the relationship itself, the falsification of his financial disclosure about the rented house the molester rented from him in Utah, and his ducking all questions about it. This is the Fox News Video and Joint Statement Senator Benacquisto, Dr. Michael Dreikorn and Dr. Paige Kreegel issued:
“Now more than ever, we stand together to put politics aside to address some very serious questions that have been raised in this race. As candidates for the United States Congress – but more importantly as parents and members of this community – there is no greater priority than protecting our children from the violent predators who target them. Recent news reports have brought into question Curt Clawson’s relationship with a violent child rapist in Utah. He has dismissed these news reports as politically driven, and that just couldn’t be further from the truth.”
The campaign also passed along the local NBC article and News Video which I watched as well (followed by my awesome video.)
Lee County, Fl –
Glen Borst was convicted of attempted sex abuse of a child in 2004, and Borst later registered his address on a sex offender registry as the Saratoga Springs, Utah property owned by Clawson.
Utah property records indicate in 2013, Clawson transferred his ownership to a limited liability corporation called “Rewired CEO Utah LLC,” which lists Clawson as its agent. Rewired CEO Utah LLC sold the property last month.
We have also uncovered a 2006 document showing Clawson granted Borst a “special power of attorney,” giving Borst power to sign off on all documents related to Clawson’s purchase of the property. Borst was still on probation for his felony conviction at the time.
Clawson’s campaign said Clawson knew Borst as a child but had no contact with him for decades. That changed in 2006, when campaign officials said Clawson purchased the Utah address as an investment rental property. Borst’s ex-wife was the Realtor, and the campaign said Borst took power of attorney to handle the deal.
The campaign said Borst lived at the property as a “caretaker tenant” and Clawson was not aware Borst was a convicted sex offender until last week, when reporters began asking questions. It suggested Clawson’s opponents hired private investigators that harassed victims of sexual assault.
Clawson did not report the Utah property on financial disclosure forms filed in February. His campaign provided us with a letter from an Indiana Certified Public Accountant, Ross Swallow, saying Clawson was not required to disclose the property because it’s not held as an investment. However, the campaign characterized the house as an investment property in email exchanges Monday.
As of Tuesday, the Utah sex offender registry listed Borst as “non-compliant” for failing to register his current address.
“If it’s our responsibility for a parolee to make sure they’re responsive to the conditions of their parole, and we can’t track them or don’t know where they’re living, that obviously raises a concern,” said Stephen Gehrke, a spokesman for the Utah Department of Corrections, which maintains the sex offender registry.
Gehrke said Borst contacted local authorities to update his registration following news reports about his connection to Clawson.
“He actually saw some of those stories, and that was the first time he realized he was not in compliance,” Gehrke said, based on what Borst reported to authorities.
Borst has not responded to a phone call seeking comment.
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Here is a video I prepared for Lizbeth whose primary is April 22nd.
The campaign wants everyone to know about what is going on with Clawson. I think Lizbeth can win if it is proven that her biggest challenger in the primary has more to worry about than just winning a primary.
![sarah-marvelous-eyes-trig[2]](https://thespeechatimeforchoosing.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/sarah-marvelous-eyes-trig2.jpg)
A Time For Choosing 
